MrSMW

I’d only had a couple of gins (honest) but I read that Andrew had bought a red kimono. It’s not the same thing is it? Looking forward to seeing where this Red path leads…

If the Sigma only had IBIS, I’d have gone that route and added the aftermarket tilt screen option. But it doesn’t so every time I have looked at it, I ended back at the same point. Ditto the XT3 which I did use for video for 2 years. If only it had IBIS, I would have stuck with it. If Covid had not interfered, I would have gone and had XT4’s on order, flippy screen aside, it would have been near perfect for me. Was going OM-1 but somewhat relieved it did not work out. After tasting full frame 47mp S1R stills, I suspect I would not have been 100% happy with 4/3rds 20mp files. GH6 so close and nothing against it really except for me to give up my S1H and S5 video combo, it really would have needed to have a significant advantage in AF. But it doesn’t so I just splashed on a second S1R and THAT’S IT, I AM DONE until such a time as something comes along that would truly make it worthwhile making any further changes to what is a fantastic set of tools that I have. I no longer care when that might be and if it’s not next year, fine by me. (Secretiy hoping for a next gen, great AF, mash up of the S1R, S1H and S5. A man can but dream…)

Is it possible to saw off the LCD from the GH6 and then gaffer tape it or something to the GH5ii? Or onto the OM-1. Or XH2s which it also sounds like they are going to ruin with a flippy flip flop screen…

Come on fellas, at least try and keep it on topic…

I’m in agreement with anybody who agrees that you shouldn’t do anything or use anything just because it’s the latest thing to do. In fact, quite recently I had a word with myself to ignore even more what others are doing or what I am ‘supposed’ to be doing. I’ve tried the gimbal 3 times now and it’s just not for me. I’ve tried the action cam 4 times and again, no. I am done with that completely now. Even shooting log. Nope, it’s not for me. I won’t say never on that one and still may shoot my season finale on it, but to date, I have not found a single valid reason why I would need to do so. Certain cameras, particular lenses and current conventional ‘wisdom’ how to do (or not do) things… I’ll look or listen and then make my own mind up. And increasingly so. Most of it is just noise and distraction. Camcorders probably are unsexy these days, but if it does the job and perhaps even a better job, then why wouldn’t you? The bottom line is these are just tools and the artist is the person behind them.

Used to be very high up on my list but for those cameras that can use it…which is Canon with it’s EF-RF option and L Mount with it’s (via Fotodiox) VND adapter options, I am less bothered than I used to be. A Canon R5/R6 combo got pretty high on my list because of their drop in adapter (I presume it takes a VND?) at one point but since picking up the Fotodiox option for L Mount, happy days. For anyone using either Panny FF or Sigma (but not Leica apparently), if you have not considered it, you should!

Especially if you 'push' rather than hold. With so many handheld set ups, I see them being free held. Straps are your friend here. Twin crossed over harness such as the Holdfast etc, strap connected to each side of the camera/rig and then obviously you do hold it with your hands, but push the camera away from you with tension in the straps and it massively reduces the load. Plus adds further stability. OK, my set up is just over 5lbs and there would be a difference between 5 and 8lbs, but it sure would help. Anything 'heavy' previously I used to use a monopod but I've moved away from that now as it just slows me down and adds to the weight when/if constantly moving about. Unlike @webrunner5 😁 I am all about as small and light as possible...but balanced with output and in my case, I have had to sacrifice some of that side of things. I'm still intrigued by an OM-1 system in this regard but too heavily invested (financially and mentally) in L Mount to even look at that any further other than as a musing...

That's the set I was looking at, but then the tests and reviews I saw suggested the Meike had a bit of an edge when it came to outright image quality and are near 1/2 the price (the S35's anyway) and both of those factors swung it for me, so went for just the single Meike 50mm. I might still get the 75 because there are times when I need longer, but wider I have covered with the rest of my lenses, so for those rare occasions when I do need wider than '75', I'll just use one of those. In fact I did the other day for the last hour of the wedding and dancing when I used the Sigma 20mm f2 as a '30'. And got back AF and the AF actually works quite well for dancing stuff as there is a lot of contrast!

I've wrestled with it for over 2 years but finally believe I have come up with the best option for me. Just to recap and for anyone that doesn't know, I sold off all my Fuji based kit at the end of the 2019 wedding season and intended to start afresh because what I had did not completely gel and there were too many compromises and workarounds. The new kit in the Spring of 2020 could have been anything but when we got close, an XT4 based system was the winner. But then Covid hit and my order was cancelled. The entire season passed with just 1 event attended and I bought and then promptly sold some familiar XT3 kit to do the job. Then the S5 came out and it looked like the best available option for me. Tested over the Winter and liked it enough. Some niggles, primarily the flip out screen (hate the things and would have been the major compromise on the XT4) and the non-dampened shutter. Had to go with something for the start of the 2021 season...but that then also never happened other than a short 5 week, 5 job window at the very end of the season and by then, had picked up a used S1H and right at the very end, a used S1R at a stupidly cheap price of 1600 euros mint. Since then, it's been a case of trying to find the right glass and combos of making the kit work for my specific needs and the first few weddings of this season, I have been juggling but never been totally happy. The last job I did, the 6th of 33 booked in for this year, I came closest with the Leica TL2 on it's second outing and I really liked it but for the niggles of; not having a tilt screen, shutter is a little louder than I'd like and the colour doesn't match my S1R. When the LCD began to fail on the second outing, the answer was very easy, - just find another stupidly cheap S1R. The thing is with the S1R, yes people say they are big and heavy but actually it feels ridiculously light when switching to it after shooting my 'cine rig'. Ridiculously light. And I can shoot it in crop mode and still get results around 24mp so it's like every prime lens is two prime lenses. And that's it now for the remaining 27 jobs I have for this year. I wish it had not taken the last 6 jobs to work it out but that is weddings and the near unique nature of what I do and that is there is no handbook or any amount of testing that can be done that is not actual real weddings. I'd still rather have super-reliable AF and ideally, smaller and lighter, but the reality is that for me, right now, ALL factors considered, there isn't a better combo out there other than what I now have. I am super-confident and happy with it. Everything now has it's specific purpose and works in harmony with the other pieces of the puzzle.

I just can’t get on with it Tom. If I ONLY shot video, then maybe, but the reality is it’s one step too far forward me so after my third attempt, I am abandoning it. Same as action cams. I think I’m just going to pick up the latest Iphone mini with a zoom lens as this will suit my needs far better.

Life is about compromise. At least mine is. As a solo hybrid shooter, ideally I’d have super-reliable AF. My compromise has been not having that for other benefits. The principal reason I went for a cine lens was partly so I would be forced to use only manual focus, but mainly because it is mechanical. I do prefer the longer throw for sure over the photo-orientated Sigma f2 Contemporary lenses, but mostly I prefer the fact that cine lenses don’t change focus if you switch the camera off whereas my experience with focus by wire is they always need more fiddling with. One of the most important factors to me is consistency and I have found that in the Meike cine lens very quickly. I should add I have had a cine lens previously. A Rokinon/Samyang with my Fuji XT3 a few years back but I suspect that was more of a rehoused lens than a proper cine lens. I dismissed Sigma’s own cine lenses as being too big, too heavy, too expensive and from the tests and reviews I have seen, possibly not as good as the Meike. Ditto the DZO Vespid’s that were initially my first choice being somewhere between the two (Meike and Sigma) on price but the smallest and lightest, but tests seem to suggest the Meike produced the better image. I’ll have a production out within the next few weeks shot with the Meike.

I think that Q ^ is for Tom but I went with EF myself, but for the reasons of the Fotodiox VND adapter. Either mount option will make anyone look pro. For sure.

Considering the 75 actually but going to get a few more jobs in with the 50 first and see how it goes as whilst lens choices can be a good thing (though lugging them around is not), there is something to be said for sticking to a single focal length and just making it work. I’ve picked ‘75’ as mine and I like it.

Your WB might be slightly off there Tom? 😜

I only shoot 4K 50p so this slightly smaller and lighter model (there is a FF version) works for me.